Facemask

ABSTRACT

A facemask, comprising proximal and distal layers enclosing a structural member which is oriented collateral with a user’s mouth. The facemask also comprises a means to affix the facemask to the user’s face using either ear loops or tie straps. The structural member is configured to inhibit the proximal layer from engaging the user’s mouth or nose, and the member is adapted to reduce movement of the facemask during speech. The structural member is made from either a flexible material such as rubber or silicone, or a semi-rigid material such as metal.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Pat. Application Serial No. 63/305265, filed Jan. 31, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light the importance of wearing facemasks, especially for front-line workers who are at a higher risk of getting infected due to their close proximity to the public. The widespread spread of the virus has made it imperative for individuals, especially front-line workers, to wear facemasks to curb the spread of the virus and prevent themselves from getting infected.

Front-line workers include healthcare workers, first responders, grocery store workers, delivery workers, and many others. These individuals have to interact with the public on a daily basis, making them highly vulnerable to viruses. They are exposed through close contact with infected individuals, breathing in droplets from infected individuals, and touching contaminated surfaces.

The use of facemasks is one of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce the risk of getting infected by a virus. Facemasks provide a physical barrier that traps droplets before they reach the mouth or nose of the person wearing the mask. When an infected person talks, coughs, or sneezes, droplets containing the virus are released into the air, and these droplets can easily reach another person through the mouth or nose. Wearing a facemask helps reduce the spread of these droplets by trapping them before they reach another person.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the use of facemasks for individuals who are in close contact with infected individuals, especially front-line workers. According to the WHO, facemasks are effective in reducing the spread of viruses, especially when combined with other preventive measures such as hand hygiene and physical distancing. The use of facemasks has become an essential aspect of the COVID-19 response, and front-line workers are advised to always wear them while they are on duty.

Unfortunately, when it comes to medical facemasks, front-line workers often do not wear the mask properly on the nose, cheek, lower jaw and chin. Sometimes the front-line workers will even wear the mask inside out or upside down, which results in a poor fit and gaps in the facemask leading to potential risk of exposure for themselves and others to microorganisms that cause infections.

Many front-line workers alike at times complain that conventional facemasks are uncomfortable and often do not remain in position during use. This may lead to a poor fit and further discomfort to the wearer.

BRIEF SUMMARY

One or more embodiments relate to a facemask adapted to reduce movement of the facemask during speech, comprising a proximal layer, distal layer and structural member, said structural member oriented collateral with a user’s mouth. In an embodiment, the proximal layer and distal layers are configured to enclose the structural member from opposite sides while the structural member is configured to inhibit the proximal layer from engaging the user’s mouth or nose. In an embodiment the structural member is made of a flexible material such as plastic, silicone, etc., while in an alternative embodiment the structural member is made of a semi-rigid material such as metal. In an embodiment the structural member protrudes away from the user’s mouth and the facemask further comprises a means for affixing the facemask to a user’s face.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the embodiments will become understood with reference to the following description, appended claims and accompanying figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the distal layer of a facemask with structural member, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates a view of the proximal layer of a facemask with structural member, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative view of the distal layer of a facemask with structural member, according to an embodiment; and

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative perspective view of the distal layer of a facemask with structural member, according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The descriptions of the various embodiments have been presented for purposes of illustration but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth, such as examples of specific percentages, components, etc., to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. It will be apparent, however, to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present design can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known components or methods have not been described in detail but rather in a block diagram to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present design. Thus, the specific details set forth are merely exemplary. Also, the features implemented in one embodiment may be implemented in another embodiment where logically possible. The specific details can be varied from and still be contemplated to be within the spirit and scope of the present design. The term coupled is defined as meaning connected either directly to the component or indirectly to the component through another component.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the distal layer 102 of a facemask 100 with structural member 106, according to an embodiment of the present invention. In an embodiment, the facemask 100 comprises a proximal layer 104, a distal layer 102 and structural member 106. In one embodiment the structural member 106 is oriented collateral with a user’s mouth which allows for the structural member 106 to protrude away from the user’s mouth.

In an embodiment, the proximal layer 104 and distal layers 102 are configured to enclose the structural member 106 from opposite sides. In this configuration, the structural member 106 is designed to inhibit the proximal layer 104 from engaging the user’s mouth or nose. The structural member 106 is also designed to reduce movement of the facemask during speech as portions of the proximal layer 104 in line with the user’s mouth are forced (i.e., protrudes) away from the user’s mouth allowing the user to move their lips and mouth without interference with the proximal layer 104 of the facemask 100. Moreover, the present embodiment also allows for increased breathability over longer periods of time.

In an embodiment, the structural member 106 may be made of a flexible material, such as plastic, rubber, silicone, polymers, etc. Flexibility in the structural member 106 allows for minor deformation of the structural member 106 caused by the user talking or breathing. In an alternative embodiment, the structural member 106 may be made of a semi-rigid material, such as metal. In one embodiment the structural member 106 comprises a single piece of material, be it flexible or semi-rigid. In an alternative embodiment, the structural member 106 may comprises multiple pieces of material, all may be flexible, or semi-rigid, or a combination thereof.

In an embodiment, the facemask 100 further comprises a means for affixing the facemask 100 to the user’s face. FIG. 1 depicts the means as a pair of ear loops 108 and 110. In an alternative embodiment, the means may include tie straps, elastic straps, or other removably secure means for affixing the facemask 100 to a user’s face.

An embodiment of the present invention is a facemask with a protruding centerline for increased breathability and reduction in movement when speaking. In one embodiment the centerline is made of a flexible material, e.g., plastic. In one embodiment, the centerline is made of a semi-bendable material, e.g., metal.

FIG. 2 illustrates a view of the proximal layer 204 of a facemask 200 with structural member 206, according to an embodiment. In an embodiment, the proximal layer 204 may be made of the same or different material as the distal layer 202. Moreover, the structural member 206 resides between the distal 202 and proximal 204 layers such that it is not accessible by the user. In an embodiment, the structural member 206 may coincide with pleats in the facemask 200 such that the member 206 resides at a center-most pleat delimitation such that the outward protrusion of the structural member 206 is maximized. In this embodiment, the means for affixing the facemask 200 to the user’s face is a pair of ear loops 208 and 210.

FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative view of the distal layer 302 of a facemask 300 with structural member 306, according to an embodiment. In this figure the facemask 300 is in its packaged and/or unused state in that all pleats are contracted. In this orientation, the structural member 306 does not protrude from the user’s face. Rather, the structural member 306 is coplanar with the proximal layer 304 and distal layer 302. This configuration is preferred for packaging and distribution purposes.

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative perspective view of the distal layer 402 of a facemask 400 with structural member 406, according to an embodiment. In this embodiment, the structural member 406 resides between pleats in the facemask 400, however, it is understood the facemask 400 may be configured without pleats and yet achieve the same functionality with the integrated structural member 406.

The descriptions of the various embodiments have been presented for purposes of illustration but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

References in the claims to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the above-described exemplary embodiment that are currently known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are intended to be encompassed by the present claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. section 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or “step for.”

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A facemask, comprising: a proximal layer; a distal layer; a structural member oriented collateral with a user’s mouth; and a means to affix the facemask to the user’s face; wherein the proximal layer and distal layers are configured to enclose the structural member from opposite sides; wherein the structural member is configured to inhibit the proximal layer from engaging the user’s mouth or nose; and wherein the structural member is adapted to reduce movement of the facemask during speech.
 2. The facemask of claim 1, wherein the facemask encloses the user’s mouth and nose.
 3. The facemask of claim 1, wherein the structural member protrudes away from the user’s mouth.
 4. The facemask of claim 1, wherein the structural member is made of a flexible material.
 5. The facemask of claim 1, wherein the structural member is made of a semirigid material.
 6. The facemask of claim 1, wherein the means to affix the facemask to the user’s face comprises ear loops.
 7. The facemask of claim 1, wherein the means to affix the facemask to the user’s face comprises straps.
 8. A facemask, comprising: a proximal layer; a distal layer; and a structural member enclosed from opposite sides by the proximal and distal layers and adapted to reduce movement of the facemask during speech; wherein the structural member is configured to inhibit the proximal layer from engaging a user’s mouth or nose.
 9. The facemask of claim 8, wherein the structural member is made of a flexible material oriented collateral with the user’s mouth.
 10. The facemask of claim 8, wherein the structural member is made of a semirigid material oriented collateral with the user’s mouth.
 11. The facemask of claim 9, wherein the facemask encloses the user’s mouth and nose.
 12. The facemask of claim 8, further comprising a means to affix the facemask to the user’s face.
 13. A facemask configured to inhibit engaging a user’s mouth or nose, comprising: a proximal layer; a distal layer; a structural member enclosed from opposite sides by the proximal and distal layers; and a means for affixing the facemask to the user’s face; wherein the structural member is made of a flexible material oriented collateral with the user’s mouth; and wherein the structural member is adapted to reduce movement of the facemask during speech. 